TERRE HAUTE LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER TO ROSE-HULMAN

Rose-Hulman Institute`s basketball team is 0-4 on its trip to the Soviet Union and Europe, but the games have been the least of the Engineers`

problems.

The team`s luggage disappeared on the flight from Chicago to Moscow.

Once in the Soviet Union, the players had to sleep in the one set of clothes they had because their motel failed to provide adequate heat.

The team eventually was reunited with its luggage in Brussels. Apparently, Soviet authorities refused to transfer the luggage onto an Aeroflot flight at Brussels because of security concerns.

The team recovered its belongings when it returned to the Belgian city Dec. 22.

On Christmas Day the Engineers lost 93-90 on a 40-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to the base team at Rhine-Main Air Force Base outside Frankfurt, West Germany. Half the team was late for Sunday`s game against a pro team in St. Quinton, France, because they got stuck in traffic at the scene of an accident. Rose-Hulman lost 100-78.

All in all, though, coach John Mutchner isn`t complaining. ''We`re not playing too badly, considering everything that`s happened to us on the trip,'' he says.